Spain Bicycle Trips

I would highly recommend this company for a bike trip in Spain. Support, accommodations and guidance were stellar.

We biked from Leon to Santiago de Compostela and had a great time. We were very pleased with all the services received in all the hotels and the food choices. We didn't have any negative experience during our trip. Our bikes worked great and we didn't run into any issues with our bikes. The trip, although challenging, fulfilled all my expectations and left me wanting to go back and do it again.

This was an outstanding trip. The scenery was varied and gorgeous. Cycling on mostly rural roads and paths between perfectly preserved medieval villages was amazing. I did not find the distances or the elevations excessive, although it does pay to be in shape. Europe was in a heat wave the week we were there (first part of June), so we tried to get our riding started early in the day and took some shortcuts to be out of the heat of the day by 3:00 pm. The route later reaches the Costa Brava and the coastal towns, which have a different topography, and finally on the last day past an amazing nature preserve at Aiguamolls de l'Empordà Natural Park. You can't actually bike through the Park, so we altered our itinerary the last day to spend more time walking through it, since our son is an avid birdwatcher (320 species to see!). Bring mosquito protection for the Park. The guide app was easy to use and directions always clear. If you strayed off the route it temporarily lost you, but as long as you returned to the route, it picked right back up. The hotels were varied and interesting with universally helpful and accommodating hosts. We did the self-guided trip with two 30-year-olds on regular bikes and two 70-year-olds on e-bikes, which worked perfectly. Personnel were very helpful up front and they do have an in-country representative for emergencies (only had to call him once). You really need to read all of their instructions, including downloading the guide app before you go. I also recommend installing WhatsApp and learning how to use it. Everyone in Spain - including restaurants (if trying to make or confirm a reservation), the in-country bike provider, taxi drivers trying to find you, hotel hosts and anyone else you might need to communicate with - exclusively use WhatsApp. (Super easy to use.) Some of the really small towns close all of their restaurants on Tuesdays (or Mondays), but if arranged ahead of time with your host, you can get a taxi to the next bigger town for dinner or ride your bike another 5 km in the evening (not recommended after trying their delicious local house vermouths). We loved this trip and this area of Spain!

This trip was a mixture of good and bad experiences. I suspect that many of the bad experiences were a result of the disconnect between Explore and its subcontractor Naturebike. I would suggest the Explore look for another subcontractor. Here are my comments regarding what I consider deficiencies. First, picnics were required 5 out of 6 days. We were asked to put 50 euros in a kitty to pay for food for picnics. Unanticipated, but I had no problem with the 50 euros nor the food provided at the picnics. It was good. But this meant that we were denied the opportunity to visit any small villages along the way, enjoy a village restaurant or select a meal. I understand that a picnic was necessary once or twice given the itinerary, but not every day. No bathroom facilities, sometimes no shade. Second, washing the bikes. Not only have I done 4 other bike rides without this condition, but I did not see the purpose, as we rode after the wash. And, as I am sure you are aware, one of our party in bike shoes slipped on the wet concrete and broke her wrist. Third, the requirement of a public bus ride into Barcelona. Many riders had a lot of luggage, although I did not. It would have been very difficult to take a public bus. Luckily, after some protested, our leader contracted with a private transport. I think Naturebike was being cheap. And, lastly, no one at Naturebike checked that the road over the pass on the last day would be closed, although our driver mentioned he knew it was closed a few times a year for a car rally. Our leader and driver literally had to make a route adjustment half way through the ride. The route selected was not very good with a few parts a bit dangerous. It also took much more time than anticipated, which affected the rest of the day. On the positive, much of the ride was lovely. The hotels were perfectly adequate. Our leader Jeroen did a great job with what appeared to be less than sufficient information. The bikes were fine. And the group was delightful. All in all, I would hesitate to recommend Explore if it used Naturebike as a subcontractor.

Explore contracted bike company didn’t do the job. We had a first time tour leader who didn’t get the necessary support from the bike company. Tour leader said we were to take a city bus from the last hotel to Barcelona!!! After a near revolt he hired a private bus to take us to Barcelona. Too many picnics WITHOUT toilets for the women. We had to stop to WASH the bikes, that should be the companies responsibility. Very disappointed with this trip

I did the cycling tour in April of 2025, and it was better than I expected — which, for a trip I'd spent a while researching, is saying something. The riding itself was well put-together. A mix of quiet back roads, some proper climbs, and long stretches on old railway paths. I used a regular bike and would say the level given is appropriate. The highlight reel: Besalú is a very charming, well-preserved medieval town, and the Costa Brava section is as good as advertised. Alvaro, our guide, was the reason the week felt personal rather than packaged. He picked up on what people wanted and adjusted. Everything else — luggage transfers, route markings, daily logistics — all ran smoothly, which is how it should be. Worth doing.